Frozen Heart
by FrozenDamphir
Summary: Percy Jackson takes on a quest to end the eternal winter in Arendelle but facing Queen Elsa doesn't go quite the way he expected.
1. Chapter 1

"I don't know what to do" she sighed as she paced the room, back and forth, back and forth. "I should have followed her! I was the one who grabbed her glove and caused a scene in front of everyone. And now she's gone, and the snow hasn't stopped for days and I-I just don't know what to do."

Anna stopped at her bedroom window, the snow falling so heavily that she couldn't see anything but a blizzard of white flakes.

She turned to her visitor, quickly wiping away the tears that she had unknowingly let fall while she'd been talking. "I need you to help me." she choked.

"Clearly." the man replied with a smirk. It was obvious just how desperate this girl was and he wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by. "You want us to find your sister and bring her back to you, right?"

Anna nodded. "It's not like we don't already have guards looking or anything. I mean, I've been searching myself. It's just, none of us can...we can't-"

"You can't do what we can do." The man finished for her. He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "My friends and I will find your sister..."

Anna's face lit up. She obviously hadn't expected him to actually help her. "Thank you!" she exclaimed. "Thank you so-"

"Wait, wait, wait." He interrupted. "It won't be cheap."

"I'll pay anything." She replied immediately.

The man smiled. "Then you've got yourself a deal, Princess Anna." He said, extending his hand.

"That we do, Mr Jackson." She said, shaking his hand.

"Please, call me Percy."


	2. Chapter 2

Percy left the Princess' bedroom, pleased that he'd managed to make a deal so easily. He'd been asked to do a variety of different kinds of quests before but this one was a little unusual.

Anna had told him that it was her sister causing the freak storm outside which surprised him. He'd even mentioned this to her.

"I know about as much as you do." she'd answered, her expression pained at knowing so little about her own sister.

Percy couldn't help thinking that there was a chance that Queen Elsa was a demigod just like he was. And if she was, she was a powerful one at that. Casting her powers over an entire kingdom was… impressive.

He didn't dwell on that thought for very long, however. He didn't wish the life of a demigod on anyone. Being shut out by others was a horrible feeling, one Percy knew all too well. Although, demigod or not, the Queen had certainly made sacrifices in her life, that Percy knew and he hadn't even met her. Anna had explained to Percy that Elsa had isolated herself from everyone - especially her sister - since they were little kids. He didn't envy her.

He'd moved from place to place for most of his life, taking any work where he could find it, although it was extremely difficult for him and his friends to find anyone to actually employ them. They made it well known that they were demigods that had special abilities which usually resulted in them being branded with names like "freak" and "monster".

Of course, they could hide their powers. But to Percy, that option would only ever be a last resort. He can't stand having to lie to people and the thought of hiding who he truly is was worse than all the names he'd been called throughout his travels. Plus, going on quests like this may be hard sometimes, but its certainly more interesting than any other work out there.

It was lucky they had arrived in Arendelle a few days before Elsa had unleashed her powerful ice storm. He'd originally only intended on staying a few days, if that, before sailing on to another place. But for now, it didn't look like anyone would be leaving for a while.

He'd been escorted to the Princess' room by a guard when he got here so it took him a while to eventually find the palace doors and the courtyard beyond them.

His friends, Nico and Leo waited for him, shivering and cold. Well, Nico anyway. It was hard for someone like Leo, who had complete control over fire, to let the cold bother him. In fact, as Percy watched, the snow that lazily drifted down around them completely melted the moment it touched Leo's tanned skin.

"Well?" Leo said, a grin lighting up his face. He could already tell Percy had good news from the smile that had been present since leaving the Princess' room.

"She's hiring us." Percy answered. Even Nico cracked a small smile at those words. "Tomorrow, we've to start our search for the Queen and bring her back to her sister. But tonight…" he continued. "We've been invited to dinner."

Leo's eyes widened. "What?" The people that hired them for quests usually had barely enough money to pay them, never mind invite them to dinner. But this wasn't exactly a usual customer.

"I think its time for you two to meet the Princess of Arendelle."


	3. Chapter 3

Percy, Leo and Nico followed the servants who were leading them to the dining room. They were led through a maze of corridors, all of which looked completely identical to each other. At least to Percy, anyway. How anyone could find their way around this place, he had no idea.

They reached a set of double doors, warm light already flooding through the crack underneath them, illuminating the dark hallway.

Beyond them was a large room, a great oak table in its centre. Food on gleaming silver plates ran up the length of the table, the smells wafting towards Percy, making his stomach rumble. This was a banquet fit for a king.

They were escorted to their seats, Leo and Nico sitting opposite Percy. The table was much too large for just the three of them - soon to be four when Anna joined them - and could dine at least a dozen people.

Leo sat and immediately reached for a plate.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Percy chastised, slapping Leo's hand away. "What're you doing?"

"Uh, I'm starving…" he said, his stomach rumbling as though trying to emphasize his point.

"So?" Percy replied. "The Princess hasn't arrived yet.

"Since when do you have such good manners?" Leo grumbled, slouching in his seat with a frown on his face. He almost looked like Nico, Percy thought with a chuckle.

Before he could answer, the double doors burst open to reveal a very flustered and out-of-breath Princess.

The three of them stood immediately.

"I'm so sorry," Anna gasped, tucking strands of hair that had come undone from her bun behind her ear. "I lost track of time." She looked up at them then, noticing them standing, heads bowed. "Oh, uh, just sit down. You should have started without me." she said, laughing nervously.

They all ate in silence. It wasn't awkward since the travellers were too busy scoffing down their food that they forgot to even attempt conversation. Percy was shocked when he looked over to see that Anna had scraped her plate clean just as fast as the boys had.

"So, uh, you must be Percy's friends…?" Anna asked nodding towards Leo and Nico.

"Yeah, I'm sure you've heard a lot about us." Leo said with a smirk. Percy had to resist the urge to kick him under the table for that poor attempt at humour but shot him a glare instead. "No…?" Leo continued. "Well, I'm Leo and this is Nico." he said, nudging the younger boy.

Nico looked up from staring at the table to give the Princess a small nod.

"Well, its wonderful to finally meet you. You seem great, all of you, I mean, I only just met you, so, obviously I don't actually really know any of you but, uh, I'm sure you are great, I- Sorry, I'm rambling." she said, looking down, her hands fidgeting with her dress.

Percy tried smiling encouragingly at her. She obviously didn't speak with people a lot. Percy couldn't imagine being locked away for years like she had. The one thing the three guys had in common was their desire to travel and be free. And the fact that they were all demigods only united them more.

Anna's head snapped up then, a new look of determination on her face. "I actually invited you to dinner because I wanted to discuss your plans to find Elsa." she began. "And, uh, I was wondering, if I could come with you." she said, looking at Percy expectantly.

Percy was shocked to say the least. He hadn't even decided where they were going to start looking and who knew how dangerous this quest would be. Putting the Princess of Arendelle in danger was the last thing he wanted. He knew Anna believed that talking to her sister would somehow fix everything but Percy wasn't so sure.

"Princess, I know you want to help but-" he began.

Anna was having none of it. Her determined expression remained and she actually looked confident when she spoke to him this time. "No buts." she said. "I'm coming with you, Percy. This whole thing is my fault and I intend to do everything in my power to fix it."

"But-" she looked about ready to interrupt him again. "Wait, wait. Hear me out." he said quickly. "What about your kingdom, your people. You're all Arendelle has left. They need you here."

"Nobody really needs me." she said sadly. "And besides, I have someone who can look after things here when we're away."

"Who?" Percy asked, confused.

"Prince Hans," she replied. "My fiancé."

Leo nearly choked on his drink.

* * *

In the end, there was no way Percy could convince Anna to stay at home. She had complete faith in Hans and believed wholeheartedly that he would take care of everything in Arendelle, not that that was what Percy was worried about.

He didn't want anything bad to happen to the Princess. He had no idea what was waiting for them on this quest and if anything happened to Anna… He couldn't bear the thought. He didn't really know the girl personally but he did know that if anything bad happened to her then the kingdom will have lost everything.

They had to bring back the Queen. They just had to. She could fix everything.

Percy collapsed in a heap on the massive bed, pushing the quest to the back of his mind, intending to have a good nights sleep. Who knew when he'd get another one. After the dinner, the travellers had intended to go find an inn to spend the night in. However, Anna had insisted that they stay in the palace.

"Are you kidding?" she'd said. "You're not staying in an inn. There're tons of spare rooms here."

Percy had tried to refuse but as he quickly sank into unconsciousness he was glad the Princess hadn't taken no for an answer.


	4. Chapter 4

Percy awoke the next morning feeling better rested than he had in a long time. He sat up, stretching his arms above his head, before standing and getting dressed. He pulled on some trousers and a baggy shirt and finally his boots. He attached his belt and sheathed his most trusted weapon, a bronze sword, Riptide, the only thing his father had ever given him.

The four had arranged the previous evening to meet in the courtyard, before beginning their search for Elsa. After getting ready, Percy pulled back the dark curtains to take a look outside. He wasn't surprised to see that it was still snowing.

He quickly grabbed his cloak before exiting the room and was grateful to find that a servant stood waiting outside the door ready to take him wherever he needed to go. Finding his way out to the courtyard through the many identical corridors of this massive palace would have taken him a long time on his own.

The servant, silently, led him outside to the empty courtyard. No sign of the others yet. The courtyard was completely frozen over. The water that usually spurted out of the two fountains - one to the left and one to the right - was completely solid. Left completely alone, Percy was surprised that he couldn't hear anything. It was eerily quiet and the complete opposite to what it should have been like at this time of year.

He could imagine what this place would normally sound like. The chirping of songbirds in the morning, the gurgling of the two fountains, the hustle and bustle of the market outside the palace gates.

A cough startled him out of his daydream, causing Percy to jump and slip, before falling to the ground. He groaned in pain, rubbing at a now sore spot on his back. He looked up to see Nico, a small smile on his face, trying very hard to contain his laughter. "I'm glad my pain amuses you." Percy muttered.

"Sorry," Nico said, extending his hand, although the smile was still on his face. "I didn't mean to startle you." Percy let the boy help him to his feet, grumbling as he did so. "How long have you been waiting?" Nico asked.

"Not long." Percy replied. "The others better hurry up though. Its freezing standing still like this." he said, crossing his arms over his chest, and shuffling from foot to foot.

"Have you figured out where we're gonna start looking?" Nico asked. "I mean, she could be anywhere."

"I know. I was hoping Anna might be able to tell us something, anything really, that might help us decide where to start." Percy answered. "What about you?" he asked, turning to Nico. "Any ideas?"

"Well, from what Anna's told us already, the Queen isn't exactly a people person, right?" Nico asked.

Percy nodded, not sure where he was going with this.

"So," he continued. "She probably isn't in Arendelle itself. She probably ran into the woods, up into the mountains, or something, as far away from any people as you can get. And, obviously, she doesn't want to be found or she would have come back on her own by now. She'll be hiding somewhere remote, that's hard to get to."

Percy still wasn't really sure where that could be. He looked around at his surroundings, the mountains, the forest and the frozen sea. This place really was huge. Then he saw it. A single, solitary peak taller than the rest, in the distance. "The North Mountain." he gasped. "Nico, you little genius." he said, pulling the boy into a hug. Nico, too shocked to even hug Percy back, stood frozen like the rest of their surroundings.

"Glad to see you guys are cosy." a voice shouted across the courtyard. Percy released Nico, to see Leo bounding towards them, Anna right on his heels. "I was worried you two would be completely frozen by the time I got here." he said, a huge grin on his face.

"Whatever." Percy laughed, catching Leo's contagious smile. "You two ready to go?" he asked Leo and the Princess.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Leo said.

"Wait," Anna began. "Do we even have any idea where we're going?"

"We do now." Percy smiled, patting Nico on the back, who had his eyes glued to the ground. Percy quickly explained Nico's theory to the others, who nodded in understanding.

"Why didn't I think of that?!" Anna blurted. Percy watched as Anna's eyes filled with tears and her lower lip began to tremble. "She- she's my sister. My _own_ sister. And I- I should've had a least a little idea of where she would go but-"

Percy was surprised to see Leo intervene. "Hey, hey, hey." Leo said, completely serious for once. "It doesn't matter, alright? You've done everything, absolutely everything you could have to try and find her. And what matters is that we know where to look for her _now_. We're going to bring her back." he comforted.

Anna gave a weak nod, before Percy saw that determined look from last night come back again and it was like she was a completely different person than the one from two seconds ago. "You're right." she began, wiping the tears from eyes. "Let's go bring back my sister." she said, her voice strong and sure.

The four walked out the palace gates, their spirits high, their quest finally beginning.

* * *

It was a long journey and after walking for hours they weren't even close to the North Mountain. Percy estimated that it would take them a couple of days, at least, to reach the peak. This, however, left a lot of time for talking. Too much, in Percy's opinion, especially since Leo and Nico were walking ahead, leaving an exceptionally curious Princess to ask Percy what felt like a billion questions.

"So, where did you grow up?" she asked.

"Well, I moved around a lot, never really stayed in one place for very long." he replied. She simply nodded. "And what about you, Princess? You ever left Arendelle?"

"Nah," she answered. "I've never wanted to. I like it here." Percy had a feeling she wasn't telling him something but nodded in understanding anyway. "What about your family?" she asked. "Wait! I keep forgetting you're demigods!" she laughed. Percy smiled along with her. He'd been surprised she hadn't brought this up sooner and was pretty sure he knew what her next question would be. "Who's your _godly_ parent then?"

"My father's Poseidon." he answered, amused to see her eyes widen and jaw drop.

"Your dad's God of the Sea?!" she blurted. Percy nodded. "But he's one of the Big Three! Why didn't you ever mention this?" she asked, still shocked.

"You never asked." Percy chuckled. "Besides, its not that big of a deal."

Anna didn't look convinced. "Well, what about your mother?" she asked.

Percy's smile vanished.

Anna, sensing she'd hit a touchy topic continued "Oh, sorry, you don't have to answer that. I can be a bit too curious sometimes anyway…" she trailed off.

Percy shook his head. "No, no, its fine." he answered. "I've just never spoken to anyone - apart from Nico and Leo - about it before. Her names Sally." he said, smiling sadly, thinking about her. "She- she gave up everything for me, you know? We were constantly moving because I couldn't control my powers and people kept finding out about me." he spoke so softly that Anna had to strain to hear him. "And any job that she managed to get, she would lose the moment the boss found out about her "freak" of a son." He was shaking his head again. "It's been so long since the last time I saw her…" he muttered.

_Sally Jackson sat at the small desk crammed into the corner of the small room, scribbling furiously on a piece of paper._

_At fourteen years old, Percy was well aware of when something was wrong or had upset his mother. He'd also seen this scene enough times in his life to know exactly what the problem was._

_He stood patiently behind her, like he always did, waiting for her to finish. When she finally did, he asked "Mum, what's wrong?" Of course, he already knew the answer but that didn't stop him hoping for a different one and so he asked anyway._

_"Nothing, Percy." she softly, turning to face him and give him a small smile. "Everything's fine."_

_Percy didn't believe her. "Did-" he began. "Did you lose your job again?" he asked._

_Her smile vanished, replaced with a defeated frown, one Percy was seeing far too often. "It doesn't matter." she said. "I'll get another."_

_Percy had lost count of how many times he'd heard his mother say those words and he never wanted to hear her say them again. "I'm so sorry, Mum." he choked._

_Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and her eyes narrowed. "What for, Percy?" she asked._

_"I-I-This is all my fault." he stammered, tears welling up in his eyes. He blinked repeatedly, desperately trying to keep them back. "You- you can't hold a job. We can't stay in the same place for long. And its because people are scared of what I can do and if I could just hide it better then-" He was cut off when his Mum suddenly pulled him into a bone-crushing hug._

_"Don't you dare blame yourself, Percy." she whispered into his ear. "This is not your fault, do you hear me?"_

_He nodded against her shoulder, finally letting the tears he'd been holding back fall._

_"I love you no matter what." she murmured, stroking his hair._

_Percy just hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go._

_But he had to._

_He decided right then and there that he had to let her go if she was to have even the smallest chance of normality. He could see the pain every job lost and bag packed caused her and he hated himself for it. She did it all for him._

_He pulled out of her embrace. "Goodnight, Mum." he said, kissing her on the cheek before quickly leaving the room._

_That was the last time Sally Jackson saw her son._


	5. Chapter 5

"So… you ran away?" she asked.

"Yes." Percy croaked. He hadn't meant to get so emotional telling Anna about his mother - she had said he didn't have to talk about it after all - but, surprisingly, he hadn't been able to keep the tears back as he'd told her. He longed for his mother so much it hurt to even talk about her sometimes.

"Percy, I'm so sorry." she said. "When was this?"

"Seven years ago." he replied. "Anyway, it doesn't matter." he said, clearing his throat and forcing a smile. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable or awkward. "What's done is done."

They didn't talk as much after that, Anna only sticking to simple questions that wouldn't lead to any painful memories.

After walking for another short while, the four reached a small clearing. With only a few hours of daylight left, Percy told the others that they would have a quick break here before moving on.

"I love snow." Leo announced, before putting his arms out and falling back into the soft powder. He started making a snow angel in front of the others, ignoring their confused looks.

"Is he usually this weird?" Anna whispered to the others, low enough that Leo couldn't hear her.

"Yeah." Percy and Nico said at the same time.

Before either Percy or Nico realised what she was doing, Anna had collapsed next to Leo and was making a snow angel herself, her small giggles quickly turning into uncontrollable laughter. It was contagious, and soon all four of them were on the ground, playing in the snow, their laughter echoing through the silent forest.

Percy noiselessly sneaked to the edge of the clearing, and hid behind a nearby tree. He hastily made a snowball and peered round his hiding spot to launch it at Leo's head.

Leo's cry of outrage could probably be heard for miles but a wicked smirk replaced the boy's frown in seconds. He quickly created his own snowball and threw it at the person nearest to him, which happened to be Nico. The Ghost King rose to his feet, flinging snow all around him. Before long, a full-blown snow war had started and it was actually possible to forget that each of them had responsibilities and worries. This was just pure, childish fun.

It wasn't until an ear-splitting howl rang through the clearing that Percy and the others were stunned into silence, the sound of their laboured breathing the only thing to be heard. Another howl pierced the air, this one significantly closer, causing Percy to jump into action.

"We have to go." Percy commanded, leading Anna to the edge of the clearing, Nico and Leo following close behind. They stumbled through the forest which was dense and thick with trees, low branches scratching at their faces along the way. Anna, being in a dress, lifted up her skirts with trembling hands, and tried her best to hike through the deep snow. They were moving too slowly for Percy's liking but he helped guide the young girl as best he could.

Percy cursed himself internally. How could they have been so careless? They should have been more aware of the dangers that could be found in these parts. A wolf is a dangerous animal and if there was one, then there were bound to be others.

The ground started gently sloping upwards then, only slowing them down even more. Luckily, as they kept moving, the trees began to thin out, until eventually they were running up a clear slope, with only the deep snow to slow them down. Percy looked ahead, to see the slope cut off completely, ending with a steep drop.

"No, no, no." he muttered, quickly running ahead of the others. Percy approached the precipice, and looked over the edge. Great. They'd just trapped themselves at the edge of a cliff.

"It's at least 200 feet." he called back to the others who were still catching their breath. Another howl echoed through the air, so close, Percy guessed the wolves were only seconds away from finding them. He headed back over to the others, who were already facing where they had just come from.

Nico drew his sword, a blade black like the shadows, made of stygian iron. Leo reached into his tool belt and brought out a wooden club, gripping it tightly. Anna was completely unarmed but the look on her face told Percy that she wasn't going to go down without a fight. Strapped to one of his boots was a dagger which he unsheathed and handed to her. "Here." he said, giving her a small smile of encouragement.

There was no way that he'd be able to convince her to stand behind them, as far away from the fight as they would be able to get her, that much Percy was sure of. She might as well have a weapon to defend herself. That left Percy with nothing. Riptide could only be used against gods, monsters and demigods, and so wouldn't be much good here. That didn't mean he was completely defenceless. Maybe he could out-manoeuvre the creatures, and use the cliff edge to his advantage. At least, that was his plan until he saw _it_. And it wasn't a wolf.

The beast was huge, had matted black fur and glowing red eyes. It snarled, its jaws snapping, and impatiently pawed at the snowy ground. Another two quickly joined it, all three sets of the creatures' eyes falling on the demigods and Anna.

"Hellhounds." Percy gasped, pushing Anna behind him, who, too shocked at the sight before her, didn't even protest and willingly stood behind the three demigod's protective wall.

"Nico, do you think you can control them?" Percy asked, glancing at the younger boy.

"I can try." Nico stepped forward just as the hounds began running at the group. Sword still in hand, he raised both his arms and commanded the hounds to stop. "Back off." he hissed. The creatures slowed, but still slunk towards them, looking for a way around the boy, growling and barking as they did so.

Nico bounded right towards the creatures, his face contorted into a grimace of rage and anger. "I said back off!" he yelled, stomping his foot onto the ground, causing a fissure to split the rock, effectively creating a barrier between him and the beasts. Percy noticed that the crack in the earth was still small enough to jump over, and not very deep. Nico had thankfully taken the fact that they were on the edge of a cliff into account. Percy looked at him now. He radiated power, and even Percy took an involuntary step back from the boy in black. Luckily, the hounds felt the same way.

They immediately recoiled, yelping and cowering in fear. They backed away from Nico, heads bowed and gave Nico what Percy could only describe as puppy dog eyes. A grin lit up Nico's face, and he allowed himself a small chuckle.

His happiness was short-lived however, as he was knocked flat on his back by… Percy had no idea what. He looked around him in alarm but before he could even draw his sword, he felt a painful blow to the head, causing his vision to blur. He immediately lost his balance and fell to the ground. His head throbbed but, thanks to the snow, he had a soft landing. As he started to get up, he felt what could only be somebody's foot connect painfully with his stomach, knocking the breath from his body and causing him to double over in pain.

"Don't try and get up." a deep voice commanded. Percy clutched his now very sore abdomen and looked up. Nico, Leo and Anna were also all on the ground, groaning and rubbing at sore spots. Percy looked around them, frantically searching for the source of the voice but there was nobody else there.

"Over here." Percy looked directly in front of him. He was sure that's where the voice had come from and yet… There was no-one to be seen. He heard a small chuckle and then a man suddenly appeared before him. He wore an arrogant smirk and Percy suddenly had a strong urge to wipe it from the guy's face.

"Who are you?" Percy demanded.


	6. Chapter 6

_Kristoff was angry. Very angry. Backed into a corner, he'd had no choice but to do exactly what the Prince asked of him. When his best friend's life was on the line, he would do anything to get him back. Sure, Sven was a reindeer. But he'd been with Kristoff his entire life and Kristoff knew him as well as he knew himself._

_He had no idea how the Prince knew that taking Sven hostage would work. He also had no idea how the Prince had found him in the first place and how he seemed to know so much about him._

_He had only left Sven for a moment to buy some carrots from Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna. He'd left the big guy outside loads of times before. However, Kristoff had left the shack, sack of carrots in hand, to see his best friend with ropes tightened painfully around his neck, two guards by his side, and a man, grinning like a maniac, with a sword pointed at Sven's head._

_Kristoff dropped the carrots and immediately reached into his pocket for his hat, hoping to gain at least a small advantage._

_The two guards simultaneously tugged on the ropes binding the terrified reindeer, forcing the animal to the ground with a grunt. The other man, turned his weapon on Kristoff, his grin now replaced with a frown. "Drop it." he hissed._

_Kristoff weighed his options. If he ran from these men, there was a good chance that he could get away without them catching up to him. Kristoff knew these mountains better than anyone, and could navigate them with ease unlike his attackers. But that would mean leaving Sven behind, and as far as Kristoff was concerned, that wasn't even an option. He could ignore the man's threat and attempt to put his hat on anyway. Maybe the shock of him disappearing before the three men would give him enough time to knock them out and free Sven. However, Kristoff guessed that the moment he disappeared, the men would turn on his best friend, regardless of their shock. The last thing he wanted was the reindeer to be hurt. And, somehow, he was pretty sure these men knew that what he was holding was more than just an ordinary hat._

_Kristoff let his most valuable possession fall to the ground._

_"_Wise_ move." the man said, his grin returning. He gave Kristoff a painful shove, forcing the blonde to his knees. Kristoff could only glare._

_"Who are you?" Kristoff spat. The man was tall, with auburn hair, and calculating green eyes. Kristoff visited Arendelle sometimes, and had never seen this man before._

_"Prince Hans." he began, as though that explained everything. Kristoff had never heard of the guy. "But that's not important, Kristoff." Hans continued. Kristoff flinched at the sound of his own name, but wasn't exactly surprised that this man knew it. "What's important is who you are actually. You see, I need a favour."_

_"You're a Prince." Kristoff snarled. "Get somebody else to do your favours."_

_"Actually, I need _you_ specifically." the Prince began. "I need a demigod."_

_Kristoff went completely still. His eyes widened, all colour draining from his face. "W-What are you talking about?" he rasped._

_"Don't play dumb." Hans complained. "I know exactly who you are. Let's skip to the part where you agree to help me; otherwise I'm going to kill your reindeer." As if to prove he meant every word of his threat, one of the guards kicked the poor reindeer's side. Sven let out a yowl of pain. Kristoff rose to his feet, and attempted to run to his best friend. An arm blocked his path, however, forcing him back._

_"Ah, ah, ah." Hans said, shaking his head, a wicked smirk on his face. "Are you going to do as I say, demigod?"_

_Kristoff glanced at Sven. The reindeer's eyes bored into his, pleading with him. If the animal could talk, he knew exactly what he'd say. _Go. Leave me behind._ But Kristoff couldn't do that. He couldn't abandon his only friend._

_"Yes, I'll do as you say."_

_The Prince had given him orders. Ones that he intended to follow no matter what, if it meant getting Sven back. Although, he certainly wasn't happy being ordered around._

_First, he had to tell Hans the quickest way to the North Mountain, which he'd done without question. He'd then been told to track a group of four people, whom Kristoff had managed to find quite easily. And with the help of his hat, tracking them unnoticed was simple. The next part of the plan was what bothered him most._

_Hans had given him something before Kristoff had left in search of the group. A small, silver tube, so cold, he had flinched when Hans had thrust it into his hand. "As soon as they stop, blow it." he said, tone commanding. It was clear that if Kristoff didn't do as he was told, then it would be Sven that suffered for it._

_He had no idea what the tube was or what it did, and, in all honesty, he didn't want to know. But he had to do whatever the Prince asked of him. He placed the tube in his pocket, awaiting further instructions, before leaving to find the group. Hans told him he needed a distraction, and blowing the tube would provide one._

_"However, if it doesn't work, demigod, then it's up to you to distract them." Hans ordered._

_Kristoff sighed. He was pretty sure Han's idea of a distraction involved violence, and hurting people who he didn't even know wasn't something Kristoff wanted to do. "From what?" he said through gritted teeth._

_"Getting to the North Mountain." Hans snarled, the impatience evident on his face. "It's imperative that I reach that peak before they do, do you understand?"_

_Kristoff nodded, even though he didn't understand at all. Why was reaching a mountain so important?_

_"Good. Now go." Hans ordered._

_Kristoff had left without another word, fists clenched and lips set in a thin line. He hated how much control Hans had over him. One last glance at Sven had shown the reindeer laying down, the two guards still at his side, although now both had their swords unsheathed, ready for any incoming attacks._

_Kristoff had thought about leaving the area, before putting on his hat and sneaking back. But he couldn't knock out two guards at the same time. It was too risky._

_He just had to do what he was told. He'd tracked the group, following them until they'd stopped in a small clearing._

_Kristoff had retreated into the trees, removing his hat as he did so. He pulled out the small tube and blew. He gave a startled yelp as the tube shattered in his hand. Was that supposed to happen? Then he realised. "It's a stygian ice whistle." he gasped. He'd read about them once. They were extremely rare and were used to summon- "No, no, no…" he whispered to himself. His worst fear of the whistle's use was immediately confirmed when a massive hound appeared before him. Kristoff stumbled backwards, putting some distance between him and the creature. It let out a bloodcurdling howl, and two more immediately appeared at its side. Three sets of glowing red eyes were glued to Kristoff._

_Hellhounds._

_Compared to other demigods, Kristoff had had a fairly quiet life, encountering monsters only once in a while. But that didn't mean he hadn't read about them. His knowledge on monsters was pretty good. It was just rare that he ever actually saw one for himself._

_The three beasts looked at him expectantly. The one that had appeared first, and the largest of the trio, stuck its nose in the air, sniffing intently. When it appeared to have caught a scent, it let out another howl before diving through the forest, the other two hounds right on its heels._

_Kristoff scrambled through the trees after them, desperately trying to keep up. He fiddled in his pocket, before finding his hat and yanking it back on._

_Already, he was regretting doing what Hans wanted. Where had he even gotten a whistle that could summon hellhounds? From what Kristoff had read, they were extremely rare and could only be forged in the Underworld. How did Hans get one?_

_Kristoff followed the beasts. He was panting and his legs were burning when he finally caught up to the dogs, which had cornered the group of travellers at the edge of a cliff. Kristoff's first thought was to call the hounds back, or try to at least. He actually had no idea if they would even listen to him. But he couldn't just let these strangers die, could he?_

_A boy, dressed all in black stepped forward. He looked to be the youngest of the group. He had a mane of black hair that was a stark contrast to his pale skin. He had a look of concentration on his face, and his sword was raised. He said something that Kristoff couldn't quite hear. It looked as though he was speaking to the dogs. What was he thinking? As if you could reason with terrifying beasts like these._

_Kristoff was about ready to intervene, truly concerned for the boy's safety. But he didn't have to. The boy screamed at the hounds, and stomped his foot on the ground, which immediately split the rock, creating a fissure in the earth._

_Kristoff did a double take. These people were clearly more powerful than he had originally thought. They were demigods. Like him._

_Unfortunately, the hounds were terrified, which meant that Kristoff had to provide the "distraction" Hans had asked of him. He didn't want to. These guys were like him. The thought of Sven tied up in ropes, grunting in pain is what pulled him forwards, towards the group._

_He jumped over the crack separating him from the demigods and tackled the boy in black to the ground. He didn't linger, but instead immediately moved onto his next target. A tall boy, with messy black hair and sea-green eyes was looking around, confusion written all over his face. Kristoff punched him, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. What he didn't expect, however, was the boy attempting to get back up. Kristoff slammed his foot forcefully into the boy's stomach, as hard as he could, and ordered him to stay down._

_That left a boy, with dark, curly hair, standing protectively in front of a terrified girl. Kristoff grabbed the boy by his collar and shoved him backwards into the girl, knocking them both down._

_Kristoff suddenly realised how outnumbered he was. Four against one. Sure, he had his hat, and the hellhounds were still here (although a lot more scared and pathetic looking than they were before) but Kristoff didn't even know if they would obey any of his orders. The travellers didn't know this, though._

_Kristoff thought of Hans. Of his wicked smirks, and arrogance that he wore like a second skin. He thought of the Prince's confidence and forced all of that on himself. He couldn't let these people know just how scared he was._

_"Over here." he said, before removing his hat. The oldest of the group did not look happy to see him._

_"Who are you?" he demanded._

.

Percy glared at the blonde expectantly, still clutching his sore stomach. Before the man could even open his mouth to speak, the snow, which had been drifting down lazily for much of the day picked up. The gentle flurry became a swirling blizzard of white flakes. Percy found it difficult to see even a few feet in front of him.

He rose to his feet, searching blindly for his friends. If they could get back to the trees, it would be easier to see at least. He felt someone grab his arm, shaking it roughly. He turned to see Anna, eyes wide, her face a picture of pure panic.

"It's Elsa!" she screamed through the storm. Percy still had to strain to hear her. "Something's wrong! We have to get to that mountain!" she pleaded. "_Now!_"


	7. Chapter 7

Percy stumbled through the blizzard, one hand gripping Anna's tightly, the other shielding his eyes from the swirling snow. He shouted for Nico and Leo, but his voice was swept away by the wind. He trudged forwards blindly, dragging Anna along right behind him.

Percy looked back at her. She was shaking and shivering, and Percy saw a tear run down her cheek. Percy wasn't sure if she was just cold or if she was desperately trying to choke back sobs.

He turned from the girl and immediately slammed into another figure. Percy steadied himself, his look of confusion immediately replaced with a glare when he realised who stood before him.

"You!" he snarled. Percy drew Riptide, his anger and rage at the man drowning out the tiny voice of reason that told him to act rationally about this. But this man had sent a pack of _hellhounds _after him and his friends. They could have died. In fact, had it not been for Nico, then they would probably all be dead _right now. _

The man took one look at the blazing bronze sword and desperately raised his hands in surrender and quickly fell to his knees. He wasn't looking at Percy, and instead had his eyes glued to the soft blanket of powder beneath him.

Percy faltered. The sensible, more reasonable part of himself was regaining control. The man was unarmed, and had just completely surrendered himself to whatever fate Percy chose for him. He lowered Riptide with a sigh. "Get up." he growled, loud enough for the blonde to hear.

The man did as he was told and stood quickly. Percy gave an involuntary yelp when he felt a nudge from his side. He turned to see Leo and Nico. Leo was gesturing behind him. "The forest! I think its that way!" he shouted so Percy could hear him. Percy turned back to the blonde, not sure what to do with him. He didn't even know who he was. But he intended to find out. He motioned for the man to follow Nico and Leo who had begun walking towards what they were all hoping was the forest. Percy walked behind the man, still holding Anna's hand, who was looking more upset by the second.

It took a while navigating their way through the blizzard and towards the shelter that the woodland would offer. When they finally reached the forest and Percy could actually hear himself think again, he turned on their attacker. "Who are you?" he demanded, much like he had earlier, but this time he had the advantage. The blonde took a few steps back.

"I-I'm just an ice harvester, alright." he stammered. He was a completely different person to the one Percy had encountered earlier. The arrogance, the confidence. It was like it had been swept away by the blizzard around them. Percy cocked his head, trying to figure this guy out. He didn't look like he was lying…

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Kristoff." he answered numbly, not meeting Percy's eyes.

"Percy," Anna pleaded. "Please." He turned from Kristoff, towards Anna. She desperately wanted to reach her sister but honestly, Percy had no idea how they were going to reach the North Mountain. They could barely see a few feet in front of them, and even if they could find their way, walking to the peak would take hours, if not days.

A whimpering drew his gaze from Anna's, back towards the edge of the forest. The three hellhounds slunk towards them. Or rather, towards Nico. They weren't threatening, not in the least. Their heads were bowed and the biggest one let out a low whine. They lay down in front of the Ghost King.

Nico gave a small smile as he kneeled down next to the big dog and started petting its head. Then Percy had an idea. He bounded over to Nico, a huge grin on his face.

Nico looked at Percy with his eyes narrowed. "What is it?" he asked.

Percy gestured at the hounds as if it were obvious. "They'll listen to you, right?" Nico only scratched behind the massive creature's ear, earning him a contented sigh from the dog. "We need to get the North Mountain." Percy continued. Nico's eyes suddenly widened, the realisation dawning on his face.

"Shadow travel." he gasped. Percy went back to Leo and Anna, quickly explaining to them how they could get to the North Mountain. If it worked, that is. They made their way over to Nico who seemed to be murmuring something to the hounds. That left Percy alone with Kristoff. The last thing he needed was to have to keep a constant eye on this guy. But if he let him go, he could go back to wherever he had come from and get backup. Percy strongly suspected that Kristoff wasn't the mastermind behind this attack, and it was very likely that he was working for others.

"You're coming with us." Percy ordered. Kristoff didn't bother questioning Percy's reasons for dragging him along and instead followed him back towards the massive dogs without a word.

Anna was already on one of the hellhound's backs, stroking its fur soothingly. There was a small smile on her face. "See you're not so bad, are you?" she murmured.

Percy turned to Leo and Nico. "Kristoff's coming with us." he whispered, low enough that the ice harvester behind him couldn't hear. Leo's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. "What?" he hissed. "He could have killed us."

"Yeah, and if we let him go he could send others after us." Percy fought to keep his voice down. He didn't want to argue with his friends about this. Besides, he had a gut feeling that bringing Kristoff along was the right thing to do.

Leo gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine." he said through gritted teeth. "Who's he going to ride with then?"

"Me." Percy answered. "Nico, will you be able to get yourself there?" he asked. The boy nodded. With all that settled, Percy made his way towards the biggest hellhound.

Leo stomped over to his own, scowling as he did so, and struggled to get onto the creature's back. "Stupid…" he muttered. "Why'd do you have to be so big?" he mumbled as he clung desperately to the creatures side, trying to pull himself up. The hound's ears pricked up at Leo's words. It gave a massive shake, flinging the boy to the ground with a thump. The dog gave a playful bark, before eventually laying down in front of Leo. "Oh, so now you decide to be helpful." he accused. He got onto the creature's back with a huff, although Percy was sure he saw a small smile tug at the corner of the boy's lips.

Percy stood before the leader of the pack of hellhounds. "Come here." he told Kristoff. He placed his hands at the side of the dog and helped the man up onto its back. Percy took a step back. This wasn't going to be easy. He started to back up even more, completely ready to take a run and jump and hope for the best. The creature really was _huge._ A small cough stopped him. Nico stood at the side of the hellhound expectantly, ready to help Percy up. Percy gave him a grateful smile, accepting his help and was on the dog's back in seconds. "See you there?" he asked Nico.

The boy nodded, backing away from the massive dogs. "Take them to the North Mountain." he called, so all of the hounds could hear him. Percy, who was sat behind Kristoff, clung to the creature's shaggy fur as it bounded forwards.

They were suddenly thrown into darkness and Percy felt a shiver run up his spine. They were moving fast and just as suddenly as they'd been thrown into the shadows, they were flung back into daylight, the white of the snow around them almost blinding.

Percy managed to get off the dog's back, a little disorientated. The creature was already lowering itself to the ground, yawning as it did so. It was asleep in seconds, loud snores emitting from its mouth. Kristoff jumped off its back and stood behind Percy. "Follow me." Percy told him.

If it were possible, the blizzard was even worse here than it was back at the cliff. Percy stumbled forwards, shouting for Leo, Nico and Anna. There was no answer. Great, they'd managed to get themselves separated in this storm again. He had no idea where he was but kept moving forwards in the hope that he'd find at least one of his friends.

What he didn't expect to find was a staircase made of… ice? Percy touched the cool railing, entranced. He heard a gasp from the man behind him and turned to see Kristoff staring, eyes wide, at the beautiful staircase. Percy made his way up the frozen stairs, the storm only worsening the more he climbed. He finally reached a set of double doors, already thrown open. That's when the blizzard stopped, the swirling snow disappearing completely.

Finally able to see, he looked ahead of him, beyond the doors, into a room completely crafted of ice. But that's not what drew his attention. In the centre of the room, a man stood over a woman. She had pale skin and platinum blonde hair in a braid that fell over her shoulder. She wore a blue dress with a transparent cape that fanned out beneath her. One look and Percy immediately knew who she was. Queen Elsa.


	8. Chapter 8

_Elsa stood in the centre of the large room, the ice gleaming all around her. She couldn't help but smile at the sight. She hadn't felt free like this in a long time. It had been a few days since her flee from Arendelle and finally getting to use her powers, without fear, was making her very happy. No restraints or worries. It felt good to finally let it go. But there was one thing - well, person - she missed more than anything. Anna._

_She pushed down the guilt that always surfaced in herself whenever she thought of her sister. She hoped that Anna didn't blame herself for her running away. She had left for fear that if she stayed she would harm the people around her. Especially Anna. It wouldn't be the first time, after all. Elsa felt nauseous just thinking about that night, and immediately gripped her hands together. Anna. Sweet, innocent Anna, tiny in her arms, unmoving, still and worst of all, cold. Elsa was to blame for that._

_She moved to her balcony, hoping the cool breeze provided by the wind could help shake the memory away. She didn't want to think about that now. Not when she had finally left Arendelle behind her. As long as she stayed here, up in the snowy mountains and about as far away from any people as she was likely to get, she could be free. Sure, she was alone. But spending 13 years isolating herself from everyone around her meant she was kind of used to the feeling. Not that that made it any easier. _

_She gave a startled gasp, and was quickly ripped from her thoughts when she saw someone approach her palace. She squinted at the figure carefully climbing up the staircase below her, too high up see who it was. What if it was Anna? She pondered. Surely not. How would she have even known where to look for her? And yet, she couldn't help but want to speak to her sister for a final time. Her shock departure days earlier didn't leave much time for the sisters to talk reasonably to one another. _

_She went back inside and slowly started to descend the first staircase into the entry hall of the palace. The large double doors slid open slowly. No knock? Elsa's stomach sunk, a huge surge of disappointment washing over her. Anna always knocked. She watched as a tall man, dressed in a gray cloak, let himself in silently. He looked around the room, clearly not realising she was watching from the top of the staircase, his face a mixture of admiration and awe and… sadness? He stared at the fountain in the centre of the large hall, slowly moving his gaze up the frozen steps and finally resting on her._

"_Els- I mean, Your Majesty?" he gasped, giving a small bow. "I-I didn't see you there."_

_She took a tentative step forward, resting her hands on the banister in front of her, taking a closer look at this stranger. Only he wasn't a stranger, she realised, recognition lighting up her features. "That's quite alright, Prince Hans." she replied, memories of him at her coronation finally resurfacing. This was Anna's fiancé. _

_Thinking back, she probably shouldn't have treated Anna and Hans the way she had. She didn't even know him (and neither does Anna, she reminded herself) but that didn't mean he wasn't a good, honourable Prince. In fact, she hoped he was. That didn't change her opinion on Anna marrying a man she'd known so briefly, however. _Not that it matters what you think, _she chastised herself, _you'll probably never see Anna again anyway. _She was once again dragged from her thoughts by the man before her, who was watching her expectantly. _

_She wasn't quite sure why Hans, of all people, was stood before her in her palace. "Is there something I can help you with, Hans?" she asked politely, secretly dreading the answer. He'd come all this way, leading her to believe that what he had to say to her was important. _

_She descended the frozen staircase with ease, pausing a few feet away from the Prince. "I don't know how to say this." he spluttered, quickly lowering his head to the ground. "Th- This is so hard." He looked up at her, his eyes gleaming with tears. _

_She felt herself get nervous, and clutched her hand, on instinct. A feeling of dread was looming over her and she knew the Prince's next words weren't going to be good. "Tell me." she said. "Please."_

"_I-It's Anna." he gasped. _

_Elsa recoiled at his words, taking a few steps away from the broken man before her. She could already feel the air get cooler around her and desperately gripped her hand even tighter. _Conceal. Don't feel. _"What about Anna?" she whispered._

"_Sh- She was searching the mountains for you. She was gone for a long time when we finally sent out a search party." he began, the tears finally streaming down his cheeks. "When we finally found her-"_

_Elsa didn't want to hear the rest of this tale when she had a feeling she already knew the ending. She felt her control slipping, the snow already beginning to swirl around her. She turned away from Hans, gripping her head, willing images of her little sister, lying in the snow, ice cold an-and _dead _away_._ No, no, no. It couldn't be. _

_But it was. That's why Hans was here. To tell her that her little sister, her only remaining family in Arendelle was dead. Because of her. _

_The snow was out of control. Elsa couldn't hear anything, see anything. She could only feel her own misery. She felt her knees begin to shake, knowing that in seconds she wouldn't be able to keep herself standing. She let a sob escape her but was suddenly grabbed from behind._

_Strong hands gripped her waist, dragging her backwards. What the…? One look behind her told her it was Hans, all traces of the tears he bore earlier had completely disappeared. He was like a completely different person. She struggled in his grasp and thankfully managed to twist herself round to face him. An angry snarl was ripped from his throat as he grabbed her wrists and pointed her hands away from him. _

_Elsa felt frost form on her fingers. She didn't know the full extent to what her powers could do but she _had _made an entire palace made of ice. Why not a weapon? She felt a blade materialise in each of her hands, two daggers, that glimmered and shone as she tried to twist her hands to cut at Hans' own wrists and arms._

_Hans, finally realising what she had created, released her wrists, and gave her a quick, painful shove, knocking the blonde off her feet. Blades still gripped tightly in each of her hands she began to get up, but the sound of a sword being unsheathed caused her to freeze. On her knees, she looked up._

_Hans strolled towards her, a wicked smirk on his face. She felt the snow spin wildly around her but that did nothing to stop the Prince's advance. She dropped the frozen daggers suddenly, raising her hand, ready to freeze his heart if she had too. He was too quick for her. He glided towards her, sword raised and brought it down on her head._


	9. Chapter 9

Percy looked at the scene before him. Queen Elsa appeared to be unconscious (he didn't dare think about the alternative), a small trail of blood starting at her forehead and making its way down her cheek. The man who stood over her began to sheath his sword, a red stain on the handle. He had done this to her.

By the time the man realised he was no longer alone, Percy was already on top of him, tackling him to the ground. They landed with a sickening thud, the stranger's head slamming onto the icy floor. Not really knowing where to go from there, Percy sat atop the man and glared. Gripping his collar tightly, Percy shook the stranger, who merely groaned and rubbed at his head in pain.

"Who are you?" Percy thundered. This whole thing was getting too complicated and Percy was finding it difficult to wrap his head around it all. He'd been hired to help Anna find her sister. That was it. A few monsters here and there was always going to be a possibility; they _were_ demigods. But someone had deliberately and purposely sent a pack of hellhounds after them. They'd been tracked and beaten up by another demigod, one of their own. And now _this. _Percy wanted answers and he wanted them now.

The man below him was still grumbling and his eyes were beginning to droop. Percy sighed and got up, shaking his head in disgust. Suddenly remembering the Queen lying a few feet away from them, he ran to her and kneeled at her side. He quickly checked for a pulse, his hands fumbling over her wrists, and gave a sigh of relief when he found one. He looked at her head. The cut was to the side of her forehead but, thankfully, wasn't deep.

"Elsa!" Percy turned towards the open doors, Anna framed in the doorway. She ran to her sister, collapsing at her side. "Is-Is she…?" Tears were already glistening in her eyes and Percy was quick to reassure her.

"No, no, no." he said. "She'll be okay, Anna. At least, well, the cut's not deep or anything, so I _think _she'll be okay."

That was apparently enough reassurance for Anna and Percy watched as the girl visibly sagged in relief, leaning down to pull the blonde's head onto her lap. Then her head snapped up, an uncharacteristic scowl etched across her face. "Who did this?"

Percy couldn't stop himself from mirroring her expression. He turned and pointed to the unconscious man behind them. Anna's eyes widened when she finally saw him. "No…" she whispered, squinting at the fallen Prince. "That's not possible." She slipped Elsa's head from her lap gently, before standing and making her way over to the Queen's attacker, Percy right behind her.

She suddenly covered her mouth with her gloved hands when they stopped before the man. "Do you know him?" Percy asked, incredulous. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

She nodded, backing away from the man. "Anna?" Percy asked. "Anna, tell me."

"Prince Hans." she gasped, finally uncovering her face. "There must be some kind of mistake." she went on. "H-he would never do this." she said, tears streaming, leaving wet trails down her cheek. Far too many tears had been shed these past few days, Percy thought.

"Hans?" he asked. "This is Hans?" This was a lot to take in. As they had walked earlier, before the hellhounds had found them, Anna had told Percy a lot about Hans. How they loved each other and that as soon as Anna sorted things out with Elsa there would be a big wedding. But now, Anna's fiancé had just attacked her sister. He couldn't even imagine what she must be feeling.

"This must just be a misunderstanding." she mumbled, more to herself than to Percy. He let her grasp the tiny amount of hope she had left. Based on what he had seen - the Prince, sword unsheathed, standing over the Queen - there was no doubt in his mind that Hans had done this to Elsa, and he had obviously been lying to Anna about a lot of things. He couldn't tell her that though. She obviously loved him and it would be up to the Prince to explain himself. However, seeing him standing over Elsa had ignited a spark of hatred in Percy and knowing what he was doing to Anna now only caused that spark to blaze. He bit his tongue to stop from blurting out what he really thought about this _Prince. _

A soft groan from behind them caused the pair to whirl around once again. "Elsa?" Anna exclaimed. Hans momentarily forgotten, Anna ran to her sister's side. Percy quickly followed.

The Queen's eyes began to flutter before finally opening. Her hand immediately reached for her head, smearing blood on her fingers. "Aah…" she muttered, dabbing at the cut gently. Her eyes widened when she finally noticed two sets of concerned eyes watching her. Well, her sister's. "Anna!" she gasped. Before the redhead even knew what was happening, Elsa had her enveloped in a tight embrace. "You're okay." she whispered, over and over.

"Of course I am." Anna chuckled, returning the hug. She eventually pulled away to look at Elsa, her gaze serious. "Elsa?" she asked. "D-do you remember what happened? Who did this to you?"

"Y-yes, Anna." she began. "I, well, I-it was Hans." Anna's face fell, any remaining hope she had that her fiancé might not actually be the "bad guy" extinguished in that second. "Wait. Where is he?" Elsa gasped.

"Don't worry." Percy finally spoke. "He's right over there." He gestured behind him.

The Queen's cool stare focused on him. She quirked an eyebrow at him. "And you are…?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, Percy." He said, bowing his head slightly; she was technically the Queen, after all. "Anna hired me." he added.

The Queen turned back to her sister. "Hired? For what?"

"Well, uh, we were trying to find you." the young girl mumbled. "I've been so worried." Elsa looked down at her clasped hands, a small frown on her face. "You have to come back, Elsa." Anna blurted. "Please."

The Queen's head snapped up. "Anna, I can't." she began. "I'm only a danger to you." she sighed. "It's better for everyone if I'm here. Alone." She looked sad as she said those words but Percy could tell that she meant every one of them. He cocked his head to the side. Being alone constantly clearly made her unhappy so why did she put herself through it?

"Please, Elsa." Anna pleaded. "Don't isolate yourself like this. Come back. Come _home." _

Elsa's expression only looked pained. She was shaking her head back and forth and appeared to be avoiding Anna's gaze. "You don't understand." Elsa answered, staring determinedly at the floor. "I-I don't-" She took a deep breath, and finally looked up. "I could hurt you."

"You would never hurt me." Anna replied coolly, giving Elsa a reassuring smile. "You don't need to push me away."

"You- I-I already-" The Queen stumbled over her words. She set her lips in a thin line, her gaze turning distant and cold. Finally she said "I think you should go." Elsa carefully got to her feet, Percy and Anna immediately following her. "Both of you." she added, glancing at Percy.

"Elsa, please!" Anna exclaimed. Elsa had turned away from them, already heading towards the staircase, not even sparing them a second glance. Percy was sure he could feel the air around them get cooler. "Elsa! We can fix this." Anna called. "We can fix all of this!" she cried desperately.

Elsa was already at the top of the staircase. She gave them one last, longing look before disappearing through the doorway beside her. Percy saw her ascend another staircase through the wall of ice. "I'm going after her." Anna muttered, before beginning to storm towards the frozen steps.

"Anna, wait." Percy said, blocking her path. She tried to step around him but Percy was too quick.

"I need to talk to her." Anna cried.

Percy chose his words carefully. "I think you should just give her some time, alright?" He was pretty sure if Anna followed her sister now then they wouldn't solve things. If anything, it would just lead to an argument and, considering how their last row had resulted in an ongoing winter, Percy knew that fighting with a sister who had control over ice was _not _a good idea. "Just give her a little while to think things through, okay?" He knew he had no right to tell Anna this, and he honestly wanted them both to work things out, but he sensed that they both needed some space to think about things first.

Anna sighed. "_Fine."_ she said through gritted teeth. They both started to head towards the open doors. Anna stopped short, however, causing Percy to nearly walk straight into her. "Wait!" she gasped. "W-what about Hans?" She glanced back at the fallen Prince. Percy had completely forgotten he was there.

"Uh… we should take him with us." he said with a sigh. Together, they managed to get Hans out of the palace, each of his arms draped over their shoulders. Percy turned, about to close the doors behind him but he was too slow. They slammed shut on their own, locking them out in the cold.


	10. Chapter 10

Elsa wasn't sure how long ago she had left Anna downstairs. It could have been minutes or hours or possibly longer. The seconds seemed to be blending together and Elsa couldn't keep up. Being up here, alone, left her with far too much time for thinking.

Dazed and dizzy, she paced back and forth, and tried to keep her hands from shaking. Anna had found her. Anna was _alive. _She'd felt so relieved at seeing the girl that she couldn't keep from dragging her into a tight hug just to make sure she was real. But then Anna had asked her to come home.

Elsa had been a fool. Of course her sister would come looking for her so she could try and convince her to come back. That was the kind of person Anna was. She never gave up on anyone, not even Elsa. Over the years, Anna would find the time to knock on Elsa's door, asking her to build a snowman. As time went on and Anna realised that Elsa was never going to come out to spend time with her, she took to sitting outside Elsa's door just to tell her about her day. Elsa never answered. As the years passed, and the girls grew older, Anna's visits became less frequent, but Elsa appreciated the few she got nonetheless. It was her only way of finding out how the other girl was doing.

A part of her wanted to go back to Arendelle. Maybe she could re-establish a relationship with Anna and they could actually be sisters again, just as they were when they were younger. But she knew that that couldn't happen. Not with her powers. If she went back, what would her people think of a Queen who had magical abilities that she wasn't completely sure she had full control over. What if they revolted? Caused riots? She didn't intend on finding out. Staying here was easier, safer, and it was better for her anyway. At least in her palace, she was free to use her powers without fear or judgement.

She rubbed her head softly, hoping to sooth the throbbing that had begun since leaving the entry hall. She headed for her balcony, hoping the cool air could help clear her head. It was really starting to hurt. Her palace felt surprisingly hot and stuffy considering it was crafted completely from ice.

From this high up, she had an excellent view. She could see the snowy mountains that surrounded this peak, each covered in deep green trees and woodland. The sun was beginning to set, an orange glow cast over the land causing the snow and ice to glimmer and shine. Below her, at the bottom of the staircase that led up to the palace doors, she knew Anna remained. Elsa was sure she could hear other voices drift upwards. So the man she'd been with earlier - Percy was his name, she remembered - was not the only person she had sought out help from. Looking down, Elsa could see a small group of people. She squinted but couldn't tell how many there were, the shadows already creeping in as the sun went down.

Elsa wished that Anna hadn't went through so much trouble to try and find her. Couldn't she see that it was better this way? And who on earth had she hired anyway? If she wanted to find Elsa, couldn't she have sent out guards. They had enough of them back at the palace. What was so special about this group?

She thought of Percy and tried to figure out why Anna would hire him. His black hair had been scruffy and unkempt, and his sea green eyes had looked truly concerned for her, but he had also looked young. Possibly Elsa's age, if not younger. Had Anna wanted Elsa found, surely the older, more experienced guards would have been the people she'd turn to. What was so different about these people, about Percy?

She shook her head, confused by Anna's decision to ask him for help. It didn't make any sense.

Looking down, she realised that Anna clearly wasn't going anywhere. She didn't know if she could take another conversation with the young girl trying to convince her to come back and Elsa dreaded the knock on the palace doors that she knew would be coming soon. She had felt her control of her powers slipping earlier, and was surprised that she'd managed to hold them back as much as she had. It hurt to watch the pain flash across Anna's face every time she shut her out and pushed her away. Elsa didn't want to do it again. Why couldn't Anna just go back to Arendelle, without her, and be happy. She could lead the kingdom, Elsa was sure of it. The people would love her, she could have her dream wedding with Han- No. No, she couldn't.

Hans. Hans had _attacked _her. She felt a surge of anger flash through her. That no-good Prince had made Elsa think her sister was _dead._ And then he'd hurt her. She'd been on her knees as he'd brought down the shining blade, aiming it right at her head.

But he hadn't killed her, she realised with a jolt. He could have and, at the time, Elsa was sure that that was what his intentions were and yet, here she was, very much alive.

She lifted her hand to dab at the cut on her head. It hurt, but it certainly wasn't life threatening. He had brought down his sword, gleaming and lethal, straight for her _head,_ and yet all she had to show for it was a small gash. Had he changed his mind at the last second, and quickly switched to hit her with the handle of his weapon instead? Or had that always been his intention, and he had simply wanted to scare her before knocking her out? Well, it had worked. She made her way back inside, thinking about the Prince's odd actions and begun pacing again.

She stopped suddenly when a blinding pain ripped through her skull. She was sure this is what a sword to the head actually felt like, and she clung to her hair, gripping it desperately, waiting for the pain to stop. It didn't.

The room around her appeared to be spinning, making it hard to focus, to think. If it were possible, the next flash of pain was worse. Someone was tearing her head apart from the inside. She couldn't contain the scream that escaped her lips and felt her vision blurring. She closed her eyes, but only saw stars behind her closed lids, the pain in her head becoming a never-ending, constant throbbing. She felt herself sway, finally losing her balance. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her as she fell to the ground.

That's when she passed out.


	11. Chapter 11

The doors had shut with a final thud leaving Percy and Anna with Hans between them. They lay him on the floor at the top of the staircase, Percy heaving a sigh. He glanced at Anna from the corner of his eye, fully expecting tears to be in the girl's eyes. She'd been through a lot. First, Hans' betrayal and now Elsa was shutting her out. Again.

Instead, she looked…blank. Percy couldn't tell what she was feeling at all. He could guess, but her face certainly wasn't giving anything away. She sat down on the top step and after a brief moment, Percy joined her. "Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked her gently.

She shook her head no. Percy nodded in understanding. This was Anna. She'd talk when she was ready. Or so he hoped. He didn't know her all that well, he realised - it _had_ only been yesterday that he'd met her - but from what he'd seen, she seemed like the kind of person that told people exactly how she was feeling. Hans had clearly taken advantage of that, Percy thought with a scowl.

He looked below them. Kristoff was still at the bottom of the staircase, gawking at the frozen masterpiece, his eyes moving upwards to take in the palace. Had it been anyone else, Percy would have found it amusing. The three hellhounds were scattered about the snow, a deep rumbling already emitting from each of their mouths. Nico was on the ground, leaning against one the dogs, the exhaustion caused by today's events already taking its toll as his eyes began to droop. Leo sat next to him, fiddling with something in his hands, no doubt working on another one of his unusual inventions.

Percy thought it was probably about time they went back down. The others, although patiently waiting, would be wondering what had happened inside the palace. He told Anna this, and after Hans was securely back around their shoulders, they began their descent. Leo jumped up as soon as he saw them at the bottom of the staircase.

"What happened?" he asked. "Was she in there? Is she coming back?" One look at Percy and Anna's faces, and it was immediately obvious that she most certainly wasn't coming back. At least, not yet, Percy thought hopefully. Anna would talk to her again.

After dumping Hans, Percy gave Leo a quick recap of what had happened. Leo's first response was to glare at the man laying on the ground in front of him.

Nico was already sleeping, a rare look of peace on his young face. Percy couldn't bare to wake him. After what happened today, Nico needed to rest more than anyone. Percy didn't know when Anna would go talk to Elsa again, so he told Leo that they should find wood and get a fire going. Who knew how long they'd be here. They decided to take Kristoff with them, who tailed the pair silently.

Percy had told Anna to wake Nico and the hounds if Hans woke up while they were away. He'd bound the man's wrists with rope from Leo's tool belt, just to be safe. He doubted the man would try anything anyway, even if he did wake up. Not with three massive hellhounds there and Nico.

"Hey, I was thinking." Leo said as they walked. "The Queen can control ice, right?"

Percy nodded, a small smile on his face. "If that massive palace back there is any indication, Leo, then yes, I would say she definitely has control over ice."

"Okay, well, that's what made me think of this." he continued. "You can control water, and ice is literally just frozen water so…maybe you have some control over ice too." he said hopefully.

Percy narrowed his eyes. Leo's logic did make sense but he'd never even stopped to consider the possibility. It was the last thing on his mind at the moment, however. He had other things to worry about. He'd never had to control ice before and would probably never have to in the future. Leo seemed to be in a particularly cheerful mood though so he asked "You want me to try, don't you?" he said with a sigh.

"Yeah!" Leo said with a massive grin.

As they'd been walking the slope had flattened out. "Whoa." Leo whispered, eyes wide and glued to the sight before them. A waterfall, now completely frozen, glistened before them. The usually noisy, trickling river at the bottom was completely still and silent having been converted into ice. The water was light blue - almost turquoise - a beautiful contrast to the white snow that coated the rest of their surroundings. Trees were also scattered around them, icicles hanging from their branches.

"Now, this is cool." Leo admired, taking a step closer. He turned back to Percy expectantly, his eyebrows raised.

Percy sighed. "Fine, I'll try." In all honesty, he didn't use his powers all that often. At least, not like this. He knew what he was able to do, and had done a little experimenting over the years, but most of the time he only ever used his powers out of necessity. They would usually come in handy during a quest, or if they were attacked by monsters (which happened far too often, in Percy's opinion). But other than that, and ever since leaving his mother behind, Percy had fought for a rigid control over his abilities. Although, admittedly, he had always found water soothing and felt more comfortable experimenting with his powers whilst at sea which was the main reason the trio travelled as much as they did.

He approached the river and kneeled on the bank next to it. He lay his hand on the ice, palm down and closed his eyes. He could feel the water, indicated by a small tingling in his fingertips. It was frozen, but he could feel it nonetheless. He willed the water to spring forth, to burst free of the ice, his eyes scrunching in concentration as he did so. He took a deep breath, thinking of flowing water and melting ice, when a second later, the freezing liquid ran over his fingers. His eyes snapped open, to see gushing water beginning to trickle downstream. The whole river had sprung back to life, moving freely once more. He heard whooping from behind him, and turned to see Leo grinning and Kristoff with a small smile on his face.

"I knew you could do it!" Leo called.

Percy stood, making his way back over to them, unable to contain his grin. "Come on." he said. "We should get going."

They left, leaving the running water behind them.

* * *

It'd been hours since they'd returned with the firewood. Percy sat alone, next to the dying flames, watching the sun finally go down. He could hear his friends' snores, mixed with those of the massive dogs that the group had taken to using as pillows. Everyone had been so exhausted that they had decided to get some sleep while they still could, not knowing when they'd have to leave this place. Percy had insisted on staying awake, taking the first watch.

He squinted through the shadows, the sound of movement behind one of the hellhounds drawing his attention. A sleepy Anna trudged towards him, her hand raised to her mouth, stifling a massive yawn. She flumped down next to him and wrapped her arms around herself, a small shiver racking her body.

"You okay?" he asked, trying to stop shivering himself. "What you doing up?"

"I wanted t-to" she stopped, unable to contain her yawn. "Sorry." she mumbled. "I wanted to talk to you."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I was wondering if maybe- its just that I've been thinking and-" she stuttered. She looked more awake now that she was finally saying what she'd probably wanted to say to him all afternoon.

"Tell me, Anna." he encouraged.

"Would you be able to talk to Elsa?" she asked quickly, her voice incredibly small, her eyes avoiding Percy's own confused gaze.

"What?" Percy asked, dumbfounded. He must have heard her wrong. Why would she want _him _to talk to _her_ sister?

"Could you please talk to Elsa?" she said a little louder this time, finally looking him in the eye. "Please?" He still looked stunned so she continued speaking. "I know you probably think I'm crazy," she said with a humourless laugh. "But I think she might listen to you. At least a little." Percy was already shaking his head, but the younger girl pressed on. "Think about it, Percy. You grew up with abilities that eventually drew you away from your own family, and I kept thinking about what you told me, about your mother." she said sadly. "And I keep thinking of Elsa, and how she doesn't trust her powers so she shuts everyone out. She shuts _me_ out." She sighed softly. "I-I think if she talked to someone wh-who knows what its like then it will really help her. Knowing that she's not alone, y'know?"

"I don't think this will work, Anna." he finally said, a small frown on his face.

"Try, at least." she pleaded. "If you can't convince her, th-then I'll try again tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that." she continued. "I-I can't just accept that she's never coming back." she whispered, eyes glued to the ground. She looked up at him again. "Please? Just try."

* * *

Percy stood before the large doors, his right fist raised and ready to knock the smooth surface. He stopped himself at the last second. If she knew it was him at the door, would she even let him in? He doubted it. He let himself into the palace silently, closing the doors behind him.

At first, he had thought this was the stupidest idea he had ever heard, and even though Anna had eventually convinced him that there was a possibility - a really tiny one, Percy thought - that he could convince the Queen to return home, he still had no idea what he was going to say to her.

He didn't even know her and it was Anna's pleading that had finally made him agree to this plan. Of course, he wanted the Queen to return to her kingdom, but Percy just didn't think _he _would be able to convince her.

He started up the first frozen staircase, his heart beat picking up, an uncomfortable knot in his stomach. He rubbed his hands together nervously as he began moving up the second staircase. He took a deep breath before rounding the corner at the top, but suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

All uneasiness completely vanished and was immediately replaced with a feeling of terror, panic, but most of all dread when he saw what was in front of him . He heard the Queen scream, her hands desperately pulling at her platinum locks, small gasps coming from the woman's mouth.

He ran towards her, the woman already swaying, and barely managed to catch her before she fell to the ground.

"Elsa." he whispered. Her eyes were already closed and she was completely still in his arms. "Elsa." he cried, shaking her gently. When the woman showed no response, he scooped her up, and moved as quickly as he could whilst carrying her. In his rushed haze, Percy reached the palace doors in moments.

He managed to open them, after several moments of juggling the Queen in his arms, and made his way down the final staircase quickly. "Anna!" he called. The younger girl whirled around to face him, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

"Elsa!" Anna exclaimed. Percy lay the woman down, Anna immediately at her side. "What happened?" she cried.

"I-I don't-" Percy stammered. He was at a loss for words. The Queen wasn't moving and it was clear that she was hurt. Badly. Back in the palace, seeing her in so much pain was terrible to watch. The awful scream, the terror that was evident on her face, the way she desperately gripped her hair, the never-ending agony as she fought to breathe. "She was- Back in the palace- Its bad, Anna. We need to get her help." he stuttered.

His noisy arrival had awoken the others, who all ran towards them. "What's wrong with her?" he was surprised to hear Kristoff ask, his tone commanding. Percy just stared at him. Kristoff began to kneel by Elsa's head when Percy stopped him, the hellhound attack suddenly flashing through his mind. "Get away from her." he growled, his grip on the blonde's arm painfully tight. After the attack, there was no way he trusted him.

"I can help her." Kristoff quipped, his voice sure. He looked Percy straight on, his gaze unwavering. "I know you don't trust me, but for now, you're just going to have to."

After a moment, Percy released his arm with a sigh. He didn't want to but Kristoff had looked like he was being truthful, and Percy was out of options.

Kristoff knelt by the Queen's head, his two hands cupping her face, his fingers beginning to gently massage her temples. Percy held his breath waiting to see what the blonde would do next, whose eyes were closed tightly.

He let out a surprised gasp as the blonde started singing softly in Ancient Greek. The tune was short and beautiful, and listening was instantly soothing for Percy. He had a realisation as the song came to an end.

Looking down, Percy watched as Elsa stirred, her breathing now heavy, her face relaxed and peaceful. She was sleeping, Percy realised. Kristoff let go of the Queen's face and rose to his feet slowly. "I would take her back to the kingdom just to be safe." he advised. "Get someone else to check her out there."

Percy stood with the man. "Who's your parent?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Kristoff gave a small smile. "Apollo." he replied. "My father's Apollo."

* * *

**A/N: There you have it! He's a Son of Apollo. It's honestly been a while since I've read the PJO series and I can't really remember any of Apollo's kids from the series very well, so sorry if I've gotten the healing ability thingy wrong but he is the God of Medicine/Healing so his children must have some sort of healing ability, right?**

**Anyway, thanks to all of you that have even decided to read this story and to those of you leaving reviews, you actually make my day. Feedback is always appreciated.**


	12. Chapter 12

Percy was sat in the snow, and although he could keep himself from getting wet, that did nothing to protect him from the cold. Sharp, bitter winds viciously assaulted the mountain. He shivered, bringing his arms close to his chest, desperately trying to suppress the shudders that racked his body. Looking around him, he saw similar reactions being expressed by his friends, Leo and Elsa being the only exceptions.

They had decided to let Elsa rest for a while before making their way back to the kingdom. The woman was snuggled up against one of the hellhounds now, her breathing deep and heavy. Anna had been adamant when she told Percy that there was no way she was letting Elsa walk away from her this time and that she was sure that the Queen would come back with them. At least to see a doctor. He hoped she was right.

Percy had decided to use the free time they had to find out more about Kristoff. Listening to the man talk, Percy thought he did sound honest and in no way deceitful, but he couldn't let himself trust the man fully. Not after the horrific hellhound attack. Which lead him to his next question.

His face turned completely serious and he asked the man what had been nagging him since the first moment they encountered the blonde. "Why did you send the hellhounds after us?" He demanded, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

Kristoff quickly glanced towards Hans - who had finally wakened only moments after Kristoff had healed Elsa - but gave a small, barely audible gasp when he saw green eyes already glaring at him. Percy watched as the Prince gave a miniscule blink-and-you'll-miss-it shake of his head, a clear warning look in his eyes. He quickly looked back down at his bound hands when he saw Percy looking, tugging uselessly at the tight ropes wrapped around his wrists.

Percy turned back towards Kristoff, a mixture of emotions flashing across the blonde's face. Fear. Anger. Indecision. And finally determination.

He faced Percy. "I know I have no right to ask this of you, Percy." he began. "But I need your help." The look on Kristoff's face as he said those words told Percy just how much he hated to have to ask this of him. Percy didn't think the blonde had a problem asking _him _for aid, more that he generally hated to have to ask for help from _anyone._

"You want… my help?" Percy said, gesturing at himself, clear bewilderment written all over his face.

"I-Look. I didn't send those hounds after you." Kristoff blurted. "He did!" he spat, waving his hand in Hans' direction. "Well, kind of. He made me do it!" Percy looked at the Prince, who had a deep scowl on his face, evidently having heard every word.

"What?!" Every set of eyes turned towards Anna, who was looking at the exchange between Kristoff and Hans in confusion. Percy hadn't even realised they'd been talking so loudly but, apart from Elsa who was somehow still sleeping, despite Anna's exclamation and the unrelenting gale force winds, all attention was focused on them. Anna turned to Hans, cheeks reddening, an angry scowl on her face. "You tried to have me killed. _As well._" It wasn't even a question, simply a statement and the Prince didn't make any attempt to deny it. He wouldn't even look at Anna, eyes glued on his hands instead.

This was the angriest Percy had seen Anna yet, and even he had to admit, she looked fierce and actually a little intimidating. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides, her lips set in a thin line, her blue eyes hard and cold. Icy, even, like Elsa's.

Percy stood, stepping in front of the girl, effectively blocking Anna's view of Hans, who looked as though she was moments away from inflicting some serious pain upon the Prince, and knowing what Hans had done, Percy didn't exactly feel inclined to stop the girl should she suddenly become violent. If Kristoff was telling the truth, which Percy somehow suspected was the case, then Hans had not only hurt Elsa - nearly killed her, even - but he'd also sent the pack of hellhounds after the group, which could have resulted in _all_ of their deaths. Although, the hellhounds _had _been useful to them in the end, but that wasn't the point, Percy reminded himself.

Anna was craning her neck, trying to peer around Percy and focus her steely glare on the Prince instead. Her whole body was trembling and her knuckles had gone white. Just as Percy thought he would have to make an intervention and possibly lead the Princess elsewhere to calm down, Anna backed away.

She turned and stalked back towards Elsa, but not before whipping her head around and focusing her stare on the Prince. "You're not worth it." she said simply, shaking her head. She reached Elsa, and sat before her sister, not giving Hans a second glance.

Percy turned back to Hans who looked furious. The Prince turned on Kristoff, tugging at the ropes around his wrists with increased vigour, and gave the blonde a look that Percy could only describe as pure hatred. "Your friend is as good as dead." he spat.

The colour drained from Kristoff's face.

The Prince, noticing this reaction spoke again. "I suspect he's being killed as we speak." he said, a nasty sneer on his face. Percy stared at the Prince in shock.

"What's he talking about?" Percy asked Kristoff.

"I'm sure they tortured him first though." Hans continued casually. Kristoff's hands were shaking. "Oh yes. I was clear when I told them that his death was to be _long _and _painful._" The Prince went on, chuckling wickedly.

That did it. Before Percy could even blink, the blonde had closed the little distance there was between him and the Prince, and had launched himself at the man. Kristoff was atop Hans, bringing his fist down on his face over and over and over again. Only seconds had passed, and Percy was already in action. He heard others behind him, no doubt Leo and Nico, they too, finally deciding to get involved. Percy had reached Kristoff in mere moments but the son of Apollo was clearly enraged and just as Percy reached him, he heard the undeniable crack of bone from below him, and watched as blood started pouring from the Prince's nose.

Stunned for only a moment, Percy quickly ripped Kristoff away from Hans, who was sprawled on the ground, laughing manically, streams of blood gushing down over his mouth and chin. Even Kristoff's punches hadn't been able to wipe away the wicked grin that seemed to be permanently plastered to the guy's face.

Percy leaned down, gripped the Prince's arm as tightly as he could, and started dragging him backwards as far away from Kristoff as he could get him, who was currently being restrained by Leo and Nico.

Hans still managed to shout threats at the blonde, clearly amused at the furious man struggling in Leo and Nico's grasp. Anna, who had jumped up as soon as she'd seen the two men fighting, stood before Hans. "Stop!" she screamed, glaring down at the Prince. "Just stop!"

Hans, apparently shocked by Anna's outburst, stopped whatever he was saying to Kristoff mid-sentence and gave the Princess a quizzical look.

"Wh-what happened to you?" she blurted. "I-I thought you c-cared. Or were you using me this whole time?"

"Oh, Anna." he said calmly with a nasty chuckle. Anna's eyes were already watering as she looked down at the man who she had cared so deeply for. Sure, they had only met a few days ago but Anna had truly believed that what they had had was _true love. _"If only there wa-" he was cut off abruptly when a large block of ice materialised before him, advancing forwards and forcing him to scramble backwards. Percy watched as the ice slid past him, following the Prince. Thin razor shards of ice sprouted out from the ice, ahead of the rest of the icy block, aimed right at the man's face. Suddenly backed up against a tree with nowhere else to go, this was the first time Percy had seen the man truly scared, his eyes widened in fear, as the shards were only mere inches from his face and neck.

Percy, finally coming to his senses, looked behind him to see Elsa. He immediately took a step back.

To say the Queen looked angry would be an understatement. She was furious. Her eyes were narrowed and arms outstretched, the ice flowing from her hands pushing the block forward. The wind whipped her hair around her face, her loose platinum braid flowing behind her. Her icy stare bore into the Prince, hard and cold. Percy didn't know if he should step back and watch as the Prince got what he deserved or if he should cower in fear himself. He didn't need to decide however, as Anna approached her sister, slowly. Everyone else was frozen around them, even Kristoff, who was no longer being held back by Leo and Nico, their eyes flickering between the Ice Queen and the manipulative Prince, and now Anna, who was carefully approaching her sister.

"Elsa?" she asked tentatively. Elsa gave her sister a quick glance but immediately refocused her attention on the Prince before her. If anything, the ice's advance quickened, one of the shards finally coming into contact with the Prince's already blood-soaked neck. Anna looked down, not sure what to say, the Queen's dismissal of her shockingly clear.

Percy desperately tried to think of a peaceful way out of this situation. He felt a pang of guilt as he thought about just letting the Prince die then and there, but immediately recoiled at the thought. Even after all he'd done, he couldn't just let him die. It just felt… wrong. Besides, Percy still didn't know why Hans had done the things he'd done and wanted to find out.

Across from him, Leo was giving him a wide eyed look. Percy narrowed his eyes at him in confusion. The dark haired boy glanced at the moving block of ice, his fingers twitching, before returning his stare to Percy. He looked at Leo's hands, a faint red glow on his fingertips. He gave the boy a small nod.

Nico, seeing this exchange between the two, suspicious that they'd arranged some kind of plan, inched his way closer to Elsa, a plan of his own already forming.

As Percy watched a new trickle of blood drip down the Prince's throat, he jumped into action. "Now, Leo!" Leo immediately headed towards the ice, flames dancing in his hands as he placed them upon the frozen block. Percy headed in the opposite direction, towards Elsa, quickly but carefully moving up the side of the ice flying from her hands.

Elsa frantically looked between Hans and Percy. He noticed her hands trembling and shaking, unsure whether she should consider Percy as a threat and defend herself against him, or continue her assault on the Prince. Percy meant only to approach the Queen and perhaps talk some sense into her, since Anna seemed to be at a loss for words at the moment, but as he'd been moving, so had Nico.

Nico was kneeled near the Queen, unnoticed and silent, his hands burrowed into the snow, seeking the ground below. Percy realised too late what Nico what was up to, and tripped as the ground underneath him gave a jolt. Nico had meant only to knock Elsa off her feet but hadn't noticed that Percy was so close to her.

The two tumbled towards the ground, Elsa landing on her back with a soft thud, Percy falling on top of her with a grunt. He lifted himself slightly, looking at her face to make sure she was okay.

Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him, a small blush creeping up her cheeks. "A-are you okay?" Suddenly realising his position and that he was probably crushing her, he placed his hands at the sides of her head and pushed himself up quickly. "S-sorry." he stuttered, offering his hand to her. She sat up, making no move to take his hand. In fact, she clutched her hands together tightly and brought them up to her chest. "I-I didn't mean-" he stammered.

"Its, uh, its fine." she said. "I'm fine." she assured him. Percy let his hand fall back to his side as she got up on her own. He looked at the Queen, unsure of whether or not she'd turn on Hans again. Knocking her down appeared to have shaken the Queen of her anger and rage and she once again looked very distant.

Glancing behind him, Percy saw that Leo had melted the block of ice, and realised that all eyes were on him and Elsa. Sensing that someone had to take charge, and realising that no-one else was going to do it, Percy addressed the group. "We have to get back to Arendelle." he said. He asked Nico and Leo to get Hans up and ready to leave, while he and Anna turned back to Elsa.

"Elsa?" Anna asked. "Please come back with us."

"Ann-" the Queen began, but was immediately cut off.

"No," Anna said. "Elsa, I'm not leaving without you. Please, j-just stop trying to shut me out." she pleaded. "I'm not afraid of you, or your powers, a-and I never will be." she continued. "You're my _sister._"

Elsa looked like she was about to say something but Anna quickly added. "At least, come back and let someone make sure you're not hurt or something. You _did _get hit on the head, y'know."

Any objections the Queen may have had died on her lips as she reached up to feel for the gash that had been on her head. Only it wasn't there.

"Kristoff healed you." Percy explained, gesturing at the man standing behind them awkwardly. "You should still come home and get checked out though." he added.

Elsa sighed. "Okay." she said softly. "I'll come back. For now, at least." That was apparently enough for Anna as her face lit up in a massive grin that the Queen couldn't help but return.

"Let's get going then." Percy said, as they began their long walk back to Arendelle.

* * *

The cabin was small, the only light provided by the flickering candle in the centre of the wooden table. A woman sat behind it, waiting expectantly for an explanation from the crew member before her.

"Well?" she asked. "Any word from him?" The blonde man stumbled slightly as the waves beneath the ship caused it to sway back and forth.

"Hans has been captured." he said. "I saw him."

The woman sighed. She never should have trusted the Prince to win her Arendelle, but she didn't bother dwelling on that now. It was her turn to take action, and she wouldn't fail. She made to dismiss the man before her but was surprised when he cleared his throat and said: "There's something else."

She looked at him, a look of bewilderment on his face. "What?" she commanded.

"The Queen," he began. "She has powers."

The woman gave a small laugh. "And?" she said, her tone harsh. "So do we. We're demigods."

"Sh-she's powerful." he stammered. "She's the reason the sea around Arendelle is frozen. That was _her_." he continued.

The woman was undeterred. "Arendelle _will _be mine." she snarled. "I will take down anyone who gets in my way, _including_ the Queen, do you understand?"

The man nodded quickly. "Yes, Captain."

"Good." she said. "Now go. We leave for Arendelle in the morning."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. School's been kinda hectic recently, what with exams coming up soon, but I'll still try and update as often as I can.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feedback is appreciated. :) **


	13. Chapter 13

Elsa trailed the group in front of her, moving silently through the snow. Mere moments after they'd set off, Anna had fell into step with her letting the others lead the way. Percy was a little ahead of them, talking in hushed tones to a blonde man. Another two, further ahead still, walked with Hans between them - who hadn't said a word since they'd left her ice palace a few minutes ago.

Elsa had never felt such hatred for another human being. She was startled at its intensity and never thought herself capable of having such a feeling and yet, there it was. Her fists clenched involuntary, her whole body tensing knowing that she was walking so close to the man. She didn't want to be near him. She didn't want to _see_ him. His attack on her was bad enough, but seeing the pain on Anna's face caused by _his _words and _his_ actions was what had finally set her off back at the palace.

She'd been unable to stop the ice flowing from her hands and towards the Prince. Her attack had seemed very calculated and measured, the ice moving in just the way she wanted it, but in truth, Elsa had felt no control over her actions. Had Percy not knocked her down, pulling down the curtain that had somehow shrouded her ability to think things through _rationally_, she feared that Hans would be even more injured than he was already, or worse, he could be dead.

Elsa shuddered at the thought. Whether she liked him or not, nobody deserved to die, and thinking about herself being the one to inflict that sort of destruction was something she didn't dare ponder for long.

A small cough from Anna startled her from her thoughts. They'd been walking in silence for several minutes, she realised. Anna, who Elsa knew enough to realise that she could certainly ramble when it came to filling awkward silences - well, if the party at her coronation was any indication, at least - had been unusually quiet. She turned to her sister apprehensively, unsure what to say to the younger girl.

She opened her mouth, preparing to say something, anything. There were so many things she wanted to finally get out, that she wanted the other girl to know. She could tell her that she was sorry, that the past thirteen years had been a mistake, that she wished they could be sisters again. _Actual sisters_. But she couldn't find the words. Anna was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to talk, but Elsa couldn't bring herself to speak. She wanted desperately to say those things, but the memory of _that_ night, the night she hurt Anna, made an unwanted reappearance in her mind. She need only look at the strip of white hair on Anna's head to be reminded of it, of the destruction and pain her powers could cause.

She looked away quickly, eyes focusing on her clutched hands instead.

Anna, sensing Elsa's struggle, jumped in, breaking the silence between them. "Thank you." she blurted.

Elsa immediately turned her attention back to Anna. Had she just thanked her? "For what?" she asked.

"B-back there." Anna answered. "I don't think you meant to hurt him so bad, but thanks for being there, for sticking up for me."

Elsa stared, eyes blank and vacant for several seconds. "H-How are you not afraid of me?" she said finally. "Even after seeing _that_."

"What? Why would I be!" Anna exclaimed. "I mean, don't get me wrong, back there, with Hans, what you did was kind of terrifying, but also amazing, y'know?" Seeing Elsa's confused look, she continued. "H-he deserved it Elsa. He's just- He's a stinker."

Despite the serious topic, Elsa had no choice but to cover her mouth, trying to stifle the small chuckle at her sister's attempt at an insult. "Yes. He is." she said, smiling at the girl who was nervously fiddling with her braids. Hearing Elsa's poorly suppressed laugh, the girl turned, a smile of her own forming.

Wanting to keep the conversation going, and preferably stick to a light and painless topic in the process, Elsa decided to ask Anna about the group they were travelling with. There was so much she didn't know, it seemed, and she desperately wanted to remedy that. "So, where did you find these guys? I'm sure any of the guards back in Arendelle would've searched with you, had you asked them to." she said.

"Oh, right!" she replied. "You don't know, do you? I wasn't sure if you would've figured it out or not."

Elsa narrowed her eyes, genuinely curious now. "Know what?"

"They're kind of demigods." Anna replied. "Well, not kind of, they _are_. Demigods. They're actually really amazing. You should've seen Nico earlier, with the hellhounds, Elsa! He was amazing! Oh, and Leo too! He has control over fire! How cool is that? Well, wait, not _cool. _I'd say you're more _cool-"_

"Wait, wait, wait. Anna, slow down." she interrupted, her mind racing. How had she not realised. It seemed painfully obvious now that she was thinking back, although in her defence, she had been slightly dazed after waking up to witness the fight between Hans and her blonde healer. Her healer. She'd been _healed. _Just like that. What had she been thinking? How else would the gash on her head have completely healed and faded away to nothing.

And the _hellhounds_. She hadn't even stopped to question waking up leaning on the gigantic ball of fur. She gave an exasperated sigh, suppressing the urge to cover her face with her hands. "Of course." she muttered. "They're demigods."

During her isolation, she'd read. A lot. While most of the time it was books that would aid her learning, and essentially were taught to her knowing she would be Queen one day, there were days, when free of her tutors, that Elsa would venture into the library and search through the books that she didn't _need_ to read, but had simply _wanted _to, and she had found them fascinating. Sometimes she'd read novels. But sometimes, she'd read tales and myths and legends, of the Gods in the sky and their half-human children. She'd never understood why she'd taken to the Greek and Roman mythology books so much, but she had. And now, here she was, walking with a group of real, living demigods.

It should have surprised her more, realising that the whispered legends and myths were truly real, but it didn't. If anything, she felt a overwhelming sense of… relief?

"I know," Anna said sympathetically, watching Elsa's face go through a whirlwind of emotions. "I couldn't believe it at first either but then I met Percy. He was so casual about it too." she said with a laugh.

Elsa glanced in Percy's direction, before returning her attention to Anna. "Do you know who each of their parents are?" Elsa asked with a grin. She couldn't explain where her eagerness to find out more about the demigods had come from, but Anna didn't question it. If anything, she was just as enthusiastic to share the information as Elsa was to take it all in.

She went through each of them in turn. First Percy, then Leo, then Nico and finally Kristoff. Elsa listened intently, entranced when Anna would tell her about witnessing their powers firsthand. For the first time in what felt like forever, Elsa didn't feel… alone. It was strange. She didn't know these demigods. In fact, the only one she'd actually spoken to was Percy, but somehow just knowing that she wasn't the only one to harness strange but powerful abilities felt reassuring.

Anna asked Elsa what _she_ knew of Gods and demigods next, if she knew anything at all. Elsa beamed, excited to share some of the stories she'd read, something she'd never talked about with anyone before. Just as she'd been with Anna, the younger girl was immediately taken in by what Elsa was saying, eyes focused on the Queen's face as she talked about her favourite tales.

"… Daedalus called up to his son, to warn him that he was beginning to fly too high but Icarus couldn't hear him. He was soaring, finally free of the tower he'd been imprisoned in most of his life. Daedalus wasn't able to reach his son, and could only watch as the wax binding the feathers together was melted away by the sun's burning rays. The wings fell apart and Icarus lost the power to fly. Daedalus could do nothing as his son plummeted downwards and into the ocean below th- Anna?! Anna, are you okay?"

"He died?!" was the younger girl's only response, followed by a sniffle. Elsa berated herself as she took in Anna's face. Her eyes were red and puffy, tears leaving wet trails down her cheeks.

"Anna, I'm so sorry!" she said, stopping them briefly so she could hesitantly wipe away the tears she'd caused. Once moving again she said, "I should've told you a more… cheerful one." she mumbled. "I'm sorry."

She glanced at Anna, surprised to see the girl giving her a small smile. "It's fine, Elsa." she said with a laugh, although her voice was still slightly croaky from crying. "I just wasn't expecting it."

Before Elsa could reply to that, she stopped short when the group in front of her came to a halt. She looked around them, taking in her surroundings. Or what she could see of her surroundings, at least, as it seemed that darkness had truly descended whilst they'd been walking cloaking everything in shadows. They'd been trudging along a wide path, tall trees towering above each side. Just ahead of them the path split in two, one winding up to the left, the other leading down towards the right.

All eyes turned to Percy, who had stepped forwards to address the group. He gave a quick glance in Kristoff's direction before beginning to talk, "This is where we split up." he began. "Kristoff and I have to go somewhere before returning to Arendelle. You guys need to go on without us for now." he explained. He sounded tired, and looking closely, Elsa could see that dark bags framed his green eyes. He looked exhausted and feeling slightly guilty, she realised that searching for her was the reason he'd been missing out on sleep. She ducked her head swiftly when he glanced her way.

"What? Percy, no!" A dark haired boy exclaimed. Anna had pointed him out earlier. Leo, she remembered.

"I don't want to argue about this, alright?" he snapped, but immediately backtracked seeing the shocked look on Leo's face. "I mean- Look, you need to get Hans back to Arendelle." he said softly. The Prince snorted at his words, but nobody paid him any attention. "We won't be long, I promise."

Leo took some convincing, as did Nico, but both eventually agreed. Percy gave vague answers about where the pair were headed, simply insisting that they wouldn't be long and that they shouldn't worry.

Just as everyone was about to start moving again, Percy and Kristoff heading towards the path on the left, the rest of them moving down to the right, Elsa turned and ran after the pair. "Percy, wait!" she called. He turned, eyes widening when he saw her. "C-can I come with you?" she asked hesitantly, fully expecting him to shut her down as he had to Leo and Nico without a second thought.

Instead, he cocked his head, his eyebrows furrowed. He gave her this questioning gaze for several moments. She had no idea what he was thinking, but knew that she _had _to go with him and Kristoff. Well, _wanted _to. She thought about waiting but would much rather talk to him _before _they got back to Arendelle. "Please?" she added, his lack of response causing her to wring her hands nervously.

Finally, he spoke, "It could be dangerous." he said low enough that the rest of the group, who were waiting patiently for Elsa, couldn't hear him. "And besides, Anna only just got you back and if anything were to happe-"

"Look," she interrupted him. "I just really need to talk to you." Honestly, she couldn't believe she was still trying to convince him. Surely, she could just wait until they got back, but, again, she felt the unwavering need to speak with him _before_ her return. "Please?" she said again, practically begging now.

"You want to talk to…me?" he asked. She nodded swiftly. After a long moment, he smiled and said, "Well, I can't exactly say no. You _are _the Queen, after all."

Slightly taken aback that he'd agreed to let her come along, she thanked him quickly before hurriedly making her way back to Anna.

"You're going with them, aren't you?" Anna asked, a small frown on her face.

"We won't be long." she said, desperately trying to reassure the girl that she would be back. She understood why Anna wouldn't be happy with her leaving so soon, after having so little time together, but she truly did intend on going back to Arendelle. At least for a little while. Speaking with Anna had been nice. Fun, even. A feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. She didn't want to give that up so soon. And maybe, there was a small chance, now that Anna knew about her powers, that she could return home and things would work themselves out.

Her stomach was in knots just thinking about what the people would think of her, however. What if they were disgusted by her abilities? What if everyone was scared of her? She didn't want to think about it just yet, and perhaps, this was another part of the reason why she wanted to go with Percy and Kristoff, to prolong her inevitable return for a little while longer.

"Okay," Anna said finally, pulling her into a hug. "I'll see you soon."

They parted ways, each following a different path into the night.

* * *

The man left the room quickly, leaving the Captain alone. He had hoped knowledge of the Queen's ice powers would dissuade her from attacking Arendelle but was disappointed having left her room with his stomach in knots. Their advance on the frozen kingdom was inevitable and he knew nothing was going to change the Captain's mind.

With a sigh, he made his way above deck, which was silent and free of workers, the moon casting an eerie white glow over the ship. The ship's sails fluttered gently from the cool breeze. Quietly, he made his way to the side of the deck, arms leaning on the side.

The ship was anchored, having reached as close to the soon-to-be-conquered kingdom as it could get. Having seen the Queen for himself and overheard that she had cursed her own lands with this unnatural winter, he'd been truly astonished to see just how powerful she was. Not only was Arendelle itself completely covered in ice and snow, but for several miles all around the kingdom, the seas had also been frozen. The ship would've reached Arendelle already had they not encountered the solid sheet of ice. They would have to march across the ice and invade the kingdom on foot, which the Captain suspected wouldn't be a problem, as they hadn't come alone. A number of ships were anchored around this one, each housing soldiers in the army.

He let out a yelp, and nearly jumped out of his skin, when he felt a painful jab at his side. He immediately turned, coin in hand, prepared for a fight, when his friend's angry face stopped his attack.

"Oh, its just you." he sighed. "Don't do that! I could've kill-"

"What are you thinking?" she hissed, interrupting him.

"Huh?" he mumbled, confused, finally noticing her glare and clenched fists.

"I heard what happened in the Captain's cabin." she admitted. He didn't even have a chance to be shocked as she continued immediately, "And this is not what we signed up for. What _I_ signed up for."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"The Queen. She has powers. Is she a demigod?" she demanded.

"Whoa, whoa. Keep your voice down." he hissed. "Are you trying to wake up the whole ship." he continued, mirroring her glare with one of his own, purposely ignoring her question. In all honesty, he didn't know if the Queen was a demigod or not, but if she was, she was by far, the most powerful he had ever encountered. Still, he had no idea why the Queen - possibly - being a demigod would make her so angry. "Why are you mad?" he asked.

"You know I never wanted to be here." she hissed. "I-I came because you wanted me to. And now, we might be against _other _demigods." she said, voice rising. "I-I hate this!"

"What do you want me to do?" he spat. "She's the Captain. I'm just following orders."

She looked up at him, shaking her head gently. Squinting in the darkness, he wasn't sure if he saw a tear roll down her cheek. "I can't do this." she said finally. "I'm leaving."

"What?" he exclaimed. He finally noticed the sack on the floor at her feet. She reached down for it, grasping it tightly and gave him a sad smile. "Y-you can't leave! Please, don't-" he cried, throat getting uncomfortably tight, eyes beginning to water.

"I have to." she said softly.

"Where will you go?" he choked. She looked over the frozen sea, and at the kingdom in the distance. "No!" he gasped. "The Captain! She'll attack Arendelle, whether you're there or not!"

"I know." she said sadly. "But I never wanted to go against Arendelle in the first place. Y-you could come with me?" she asked.

He was speechless. "I-I-" he stuttered.

"I figured." she said dryly. Without another word, she began climbing overboard.

"Wait!" he called.

"Are you coming or not?" she replied harshly.

"I-I can't!" he cried desperately. "You know that. J-just don't go! Please."

"I'll see you around." she said, finally climbing down the side of the ship and jumping onto the ice below. Bag swinging at her side, she turned and made her way towards the frozen kingdom.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, I know there isn't a lot going on this chapter, but there'll be more action in the next one, I promise. The holidays are finally here too so I should be able to update faster (hopefully).**

**And again, feedback is awesome and I appreciate you guys taking the time to read this and leave reviews, so thanks for that. :)**


End file.
